Telecom Firm Sold Subscribers’ Data, Police Say

Police yesterday raided the headquarters of Hanaro Telecom in Seoul to investigate the allegation that the company sold the personal data of subscribers to third parties.

The cyber terror response center of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Hanaro received money for providing subscribers’ information to other businesses offering additional services.

Documents and communication data were confiscated in the raid, as police are probing distribution channels and whether the leaks occurred.

One police officer said, “Last year, several leading telecommunication companies were found to have used subscribers’ private information without permission. In this case, the data was offered to third parties. We’ll summon Hanaro staff if necessary.”

fineday@donga.com